Help me upgrade my comms!

[pcatterall]

So we set sail for France from Preston in a month. Wev'e gone over the boat in some detail and are ok with our nav system.
Our comms equipment and knowledge is just about non existant but we really would like to maintain email contact and get onto the internet periodically... places to see, go, eat etc!
On board we have at least one laptop and I have obtained a WIFI booster which does seem to 'bring in' many more sites than the small booster I had before. The local sites are all BTFON which as a BT user I think I can get on free if I offer the use of my own router to the scheme ( Have I got that right?) would subscribing to this deal be useful for the UK side of the trip?
We don't need comms 24/7 but would like to think that every couple of days or so ( when we are in a harbour or built up area in France ) we could fire up the internet so do I find an ISP provider now or just take advantage of the expensive deals available whenever you 'get a signal' from an in range WIFI .
So bearing in mind that we are complete techno numpties what do I need to do/buy?

 

[davidwf]

If you have BTinternet and you make Fon availble then you can use other Fon sites. You have to enable it from here http://www.btfon.com/register

 

[VicMallows]

Yes, in the UK BTFON access can sometimes be useful and if you use BT as your ISP is a worthwhile freebie. Just scan for available signals wherever you happen to be. Just don't believe all those locations you see on the FON website - many/most will not be active. Much more significant is that you also get unlimited free access to the commercial BT OPENZONE hotspots. Even some marina WiFi is BT OPENZONE!

In my personal experience, don't hold out too much hope of finding a FON signal anywhere abroad

Edit: Don't forget that McDonalds (and Burger King) offer free Wifi ....and can often be picked up well beyond the carpark.

 

[jakeroyd]

You can use Skype credit to access WiFi , never tried it yet myself and don't know if it works in France but maybe worth looking into

 

[VicMallows]

You can use Skype credit to access WiFi , never tried it yet myself and don't know if it works in France but maybe worth looking into

£9.60 /hour in UK ! .... and the only one of their networks I've actually come across is BT FON/OpenZone.

Vic

 

[Vara]

When you get to France,these people have quite good marina coverage;

http://www.netabord.fr/index.en.asp

€14 for 24hrs lasts me about 2weeks.

Out and about lots of cafes and bars seem to have free internet access.

 

[mobeydick]

BTFON is just the international FON network with whom BT has partnered.
You SHOULD be able to access any of the FON sites shown here:

http://maps.fon.com/en

France is a bit sparce, but Belgium seems packed Because of another partnership deal)

MD

 

[GrumpyOldGit]

Go to McDonalds anywhere in Europe, as far as I am aware they ALL give free WIFI, Seemed like the only place in all of France we were guaranteed of interweb access ...
Have a great trip !

 

[Vara]

Go to McDonalds anywhere in Europe, as far as I am aware they ALL give free WIFI, Seemed like the only place in all of France we were guaranteed of interweb access ...
Have a great trip !

This is true, but unfortunately most of the McDo's in French channel ports are out of town so it's a bit of a trek to get to them.

 

[KellysEye]

Bear in mind that free, no password, wifi is a hackers dream. I don't know what McDonalds does for security but it would be worth asking them.